I'm sooo completely a MOM...

I'm sooo completely a MOM...I say this with a smile on my face and tear in my eye, because while I am so thankful for these little souls that our Heavenly Father has entrusted me with, I have also forgotten what it's like to still be a GIRL. Two days ago I loaded the kids up and went to Wal-Mart because I decided that I'm finally going to buy myself some new shirts. Yes Wal-Mart. I can't believe that I am shopping for new clothes at Wal-Mart. Not cause it's a crappy place to shop, but because I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would let these words come out of my mouth. Wal-mart is cheap, I have to buy sizes that are bigger than I want to admit that I have to buy which means I'm hoping to not wear them for long, and OP and Miley Cyrus/Max Azria have some cute affordable clothes. With that being said I treated myself to 3 tops and a scarf. Today I went BACK to Wal-Mart and returned the 3 shirts (I kept the scarf because it was on sale for a whopping $3.00) and bought formula and diapers instead. Get it? I'm so TOTALLY a mom. I have been feeling so guilty for the past 2 days about those 3 stinkin shirts. How stupid is that? It's not like in order to buy the formula and diapers I needed to return the shirts, that wasn't the case at all. I just couldn't do it. My brain keeps calculating the cost of formula and the fact that we have 2 in diapers and it won't allow me to treat myself to WAL-MART CLOTHES. Maybe it'll allow me a lovely trip to the local Helping Hands, or Goodwill...there is a BIG Goodwill here in Paris. Oh my gosh...I wish I could take those sentences and cram them back into mouth, but its the truth. I'm a mom of 3 and it shows. Not only a mom of 3, but a mom of 3 who has already decided that our 4th and final baby should be born around October of 2011. So I'm calling myself a mom of 3.5 because I think my plans for #4 are pretty set in stone, he/she may as well already be here. As I write this I am watching Russell gag a few times, spit up formula, gag a little more, spit up some more and I can't help but picture him spitting up a new $7.00 clearance top :) Just kidding. Sort of. Happy Friday :)

My Personal Challenge update

I know it isn't QUITE halfway through the month yet, but the kids are "napping" and Russell is enjoying his bouncy seat right now so it's a pretty good time to blog. Alrighty, time to unveil the grocery cost to-date...as of Monday, September 13th we have $55.58 left in our budget. I'm actually REALLY happy about this and here's why:

• The kids and I spent an unexpected week at the Fate House, which meant all my menu plans for last week didn't get made because we weren't at the Paris House but all of the groceries were.
• I sent Jared to the store for formula, milk, and bread.....he came home with that plus about $15 worth of extra items that I did NOT send him out for (he wanted to make banana splits)
• We were in charge of snacks at church last week.
• Jared also made a trip to Wal-Mart and came home with 2 half gallons of Blue Bell
• Ruth and James and our nieces and nephew (8 total) came for a visit last weekend and we got to cook for them on Sunday! I had originally planned on not counting the groceries for that meal against our budget but then thought, what the heck...I can do it! Then Jared decided to cook ribs, lol! Not a cheap meal but still I can do it!

So all of these little "extras" that I wasn't planning on for the month DID in fact get counted toward the grocery budget, and now you can see why I'm happy to announce that we still somehow have $55.58 to spend. I currently have the items needed for at least 10 meals, which will take us into the 26th of September. All I have on my list for this week is a gallon of milk, fruit snacks, and a bag of brown sugar which should be less than $10.00 :)
Dare I say that we may end September not only meeting our $200 budget, but actually having a bit left over? The possibilities are looking good :)